102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB0705

 

Introduced 2/8/2021, by Rep. Bob Morgan

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
415 ILCS 160/5
415 ILCS 160/27 new

    Amends the Underground Natural Gas Storage Safety Act. Provides that, in the case of a verified facility leak, the owner and operator of the underground natural gas storage facility is responsible for specified actions. Defines "verified facility leak". Effective immediately.


LRB102 10392 CPF 15719 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB0705LRB102 10392 CPF 15719 b

1    AN ACT concerning safety.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Illinois Underground Natural Gas Storage
5Safety Act is amended by changing Section 5 and by adding
6Section 27 as follows:
 
7    (415 ILCS 160/5)
8    Sec. 5. Definitions. As used in this Act, unless the
9context otherwise requires:
10    "Commission" means the Illinois Commerce Commission.
11    "Contaminant" means gas, salt water, or any other
12deleterious substance released from an underground natural gas
13storage facility.
14    "Department" means the Department of Natural Resources.
15    "Director" means the Director of Natural Resources.
16    "Downhole" means the portion of the underground natural
17gas storage facility from the first flange attaching the
18wellhead to the pipeline equipment and continuing down the
19well casing to and including the storage reservoir.
20    "Federal Act" has the meaning given to that term in the
21Illinois Gas Pipeline Safety Act.
22    "Gas" means natural gas.
23    "Notice of probable violation" means a written notice,

 

 

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1satisfying the criteria set forth in Section 35, given by the
2underground natural gas storage safety manager to a person who
3operates an underground natural gas storage facility that
4identifies a failure of such person to comply with the
5provisions of this Act or the provisions of 49 U.S.C. Chapter
6601 concerning underground natural gas storage facilities, or
7any Department order or rule issued under this Act, and may
8include recommendations for a penalty in connection therewith,
9subject to the terms of this Act.
10    "Person" means an individual, firm, joint venture,
11partnership, corporation, company, limited liability company,
12firm, association, municipality, cooperative association, or
13joint stock association. "Person" includes a trustee,
14receiver, assignee, or personal representative thereof.
15    "Underground natural gas storage facility" means a gas
16pipeline facility that stores natural gas in an underground
17facility, including a depleted hydrocarbon reservoir, an
18aquifer reservoir, and a solution-mined salt cavern reservoir.
19    "Underground natural gas storage safety manager" means the
20manager of the Department's Underground Natural Gas Storage
21Safety Program or other staff of the Department assigned to
22underground natural gas storage safety issues.
23    "Verified facility leak" means:
24        (1) there is a gas leak that originates near an
25    underground natural gas storage facility;
26        (2) the gases from the leak are collected and tested

 

 

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1    using gas chromatography or isotopic analysis; and
2        (3) the gases' composition has markers of thermogenic
3    origins that are indicative of pipeline gas.
4(Source: P.A. 100-1172, eff. 1-4-19.)
 
5    (415 ILCS 160/27 new)
6    Sec. 27. Verified facility leaks. In the case of a
7verified facility leak, the owner and operator of the
8underground natural gas storage facility is responsible for
9the following:
10        (1) Installation and maintenance of monitors in
11    affected areas, including homes.
12        (2) Offering and maintaining gas-water separators in
13    affected areas, including homes.
14        (3) Providing lodging accommodations when alerts from
15    gas detectors are active and levels are explosive.
16        (4) Undertaking a comprehensive inspection of the
17    underground natural gas storage facility's wells that
18    shall be completed by a licensed engineering firm.
19        (5) Setting routine scheduled testing of property
20    within the contamination area.
 
21    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
22becoming law.